Linguistic description between <i>Kleinstaaterei</i> and the Word of God

Summary This paper presents a case study of the linguistic work conducted by the German Lutheran missionaries Christian G. Teichelmann (1807–1888) and Clamor W. Schürmann (1815–1893) in producing grammars and dictionaries of Indigenous languages of South Australia, and the so-called ‘Adelaide School’ of linguistic description that emerged through their efforts and those of their missionary and colonial colleagues. The political circumstances through which the Lutheran mission to South Australia came into being and the material conditions under which missionary activity was undertaken are examined. This is followed by an investigation of the Adelaide School’s place in international scientific networks and its broader contributions to linguistic scholarship. Comparisons are drawn with other instances of linguistic and ethnographic fieldwork in Australia and the Pacific of the time.